Norman Osborn, also known by his alter ego The Green Goblin, is a fictional character portrayed by Willem Dafoe in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film trilogy and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film ' (2021). Based on the Marvel Comics character Norman Osborn, he is introduced in Spider-Man (2002) as a scientist and the CEO of Oscorp who tests a performance-enhancing serum on himself. The serum gives him superhuman strength and a deranged alternate personality which comes to be known as The Green Goblin. In Spider-Man, Osborn begins terrorizing New York City, which brings him into conflict with Spider-Man. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, a magical spell allows Osborn to travel through the multiverse and encounter a different version of Spider-Man.
The Green Goblin was originally a comic book character created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (1964) as a character without a human identity like other Spider-Man villains. However, the comic suggested his identity would be revealed in the future, and at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man #39 (1966), the Goblin revealed himself as Norman Osborn. The Goblin became one of Spider-Man's most popular enemies during the 1960s and eventually died in the second part of "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" storyline (1973). The character resurfaced in The Clone Saga and has been adapted into other media beyond comics.
While rewriting Spider-Man from a "scriptment" by James Cameron, David Koepp made the Green Goblin the primary antagonist and Doctor Octopus the secondary villain. After Scott Rosenberg was brought in to rewrite Koepp's material, director Sam Raimi asked him to cut the Doctor Octopus storyline so the plot could focus on the surrogate father-son theme between Norman Osborn and Peter Parker, which had appeared in recent Ultimate Marvel comics.
Willem Dafoe viewed Osborn as a complex character. He said he could relate to Osborn's "ambition and his desire for perfection and how that perverts so much of his relationship to people." Before Spider-Man 2 began production, Dafoe came up with the idea of reintroducing Osborn through a hallucination that haunts his son Harry. Dafoe compared this hallucination to the ghost of Hamlet's father. Dafoe would ultimately play the hallucinated Osborn in both Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 (2007).
Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers began exploring the idea of the multiverse and potentially revisiting characters from past Spider-Man films while writing the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film ' (2021). The duo ultimately decided to fully integrate the characters into the film and worked hard to prevent No Way Home from being "fan service" by using the returning characters to progress Peter Parker's (portrayed by Tom Holland) story. Osborn / Goblin was originally not the main villain of the film despite appearing as an antagonist, but was later realized that, after the film lost "other characters", McKenna and Sommers "had to" have him as the villain and rewrote the script to give him a second chance to replicate his actions in Spider-Man, but in a darker way related to Holland's Spider-Man. Goblin would have fought alongside Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus (portrayed by Alfred Molina) against Spider-Man in a scene on the Alexander Hamilton Bridge; Goblin's introduction was moved into a climactic explosion with his pumpkin bombs, not engaging with Octavius or Spider-ManâÂÂbut does encounter them.
Dafoe felt that the Green Goblin had advanced from his original portrayal and that Osborn and the Goblin had "a few more tricks up [their] sleeves" in No Way Home. Dafoe was digitally de-aged in order to replicate his 2002 likeness. To prevent his appearance in the film from leaking, Dafoe was required to wear cloaks around set with Holland learning of his involvement in the film by meeting him for the first time after accidentally bumping into him. Green Goblin was confirmed to be in the film in the official teaser released in August 2021, with Dafoe confirmed in the official trailer released in November.
After John Malkovich turned down the opportunity to take the role, Dafoe was cast as Osborn / Goblin in November 2000; Kevin Spacey would have portrayed the Goblin in Cameron's unproduced Spider-Man film.
Raimi contacted Dafoe while the latter was filming in Spain and described the film's story to him in "such incredible psychological detail", talking about the relationships without the Spider-Man (portrayed by Tobey Maguire)âÂÂGoblin story. Dafoe realized that Raimi was "not cynical about this story", deeply loving the characters and feeling "an obligation as a Spider-Man fan to present these characters truthfully". Dafoe was initially hesitant to reprise the role, but was more open when producer Amy Pascal and director Jon Watts pitched No Way Home to him before he had received a script; he described this as "the same, but different". A rematch between Osborn and Maguire's Spider-Man was considered during the filming of No Way Home, but was ultimately cut by the film's release.
Dafoe said the role is one of his favorite parts to play, having particularly enjoyed portraying the unhinged character due to his dual personalities and his balance between a dramatic and comedic performance.
Dafoe particularly enjoys the "mirror scene" depicting Osborn's conversation with the Goblin identity after murdering the Oscorp board of directors; before filming the scene with Dafoe, Raimi gave him a copy of Jekyll and Hyde to prepare for the scene, which filmed in one take multiple times before Raimi split it. Dafoe further differentiated the two identities by wearing dental prosthetics providing Osborn's straight teeth, and using his natural crooked teeth when portraying the Goblin.
Norman Osborn is portrayed as a workaholic scientistâÂÂbusinessman with a complicated relationship with his son Harry, being a career-focused man who prioritizes science, business, and success and is quite disappointed with Harry. The Green Goblin is subsequently created through Osborn's exposure to gas, being portrayed as a violent, sadistic, and unhinged psychopath that believes his powers place him above normal people, attempting to recruit Spider-Man into joining him.
The Goblin was introduced in early Spider-Man comics as an alternate identity separate from Osborn, which was adapted to the films; however, later comics would depict the Goblin as a costumed alias used by Osborn to commit his villainous deeds.
Gizmodo James Whitbrook contrasts Maguire's Peter Parker / Spider-Man with Osborn / Goblin and James Franco's Harry Osborn in the way they choose to exercise their power in the film series, as he notes Parker, Osborn, and Harry appear to hold some form of power. While Parker learns the responsibility with his powers, Osborn gives into fear of losing his position within Oscorp, choosing to pursue an alternate power in the Goblin, attacking his former colleagues and the people he cares about, namely Harry and Parker, while descending further into madness and insanity. Adam Rosenberg from Mashable opined that Dafoe "owned every single one of his scenes" as he "charted Osborn's experimental serum-fueled descent into madness", and that the actor's voice sounded similar to what a reader would hear in their head when reading a comic book villain's speech bubbles.
The Goblin was felt by Oliver Vandervoort of Game Rant as "a bit more sinister" in No Way Home compared to his original portrayal, with the character being "a little darker and a little more dangerous" in the film. Praising the decision to have the character maskless in No Way Home, James Troughton at TheGamer called Dafoe's facial expressions "viscerally unsettling", going from a "lost old man desperate for help" to an unhinged killer "as easy as slipping on a pair of gloves", crediting this as giving a slasher edge to a superhero film. Writing for Screen Rant, Jake Gleason credits No Way Home with revealing Osborn as the "most tragic character" in the Spider-Man films by showing his kindness in interactions with Holland's Parker, May Parker, and Octavius as himself. Osborn's reactions to the Goblin's crimes are cited by Gleason as "proof that he is not evil" despite being an "imperfect" father to Harry and letting his "arrogant ambitions spiral out of control".
Amalgamated Dynamics created the original Goblin animatronic headgear for Spider-Man. The suit originally was designed much more faithfully to the comics, allowing for a full range of emotions to be expressed by the wearer. This was scrapped after the concept was deemed "too creepy" by studio executives and due to technical difficulties and time constraints. Dafoe insisted on wearing the new, uncomfortable costume as he felt that a stuntman would not convey the character's necessary body language. The 580-piece suit took half an hour to put on. Costume designer James Acheson said that Dafoe told him that he wanted the costume to be flexible enough for him to do splits, further explaining that Dafoe was a yogi and "probably the most flexible actor [Acheson] ever worked with". When they started designing the costume, there was only a puppet of the design and they "picked out the major points where [they] would be hooking wires up to a harness under the costume", which became the basis from which they could lift him from his back or hips as well as do "several different things on wires". Acheson also experimented with a potential helmet-like design for the suit, which was then scrapped.
In No Way Home, the character obtains upgrades to his costume which make him more closely resemble his comic book counterpart. The Goblin first appears wearing his 2002 costume before the mask is destroyed by Osborn. The upgraded costume is depicted with a purple undersuit beneath the green armor with the Goblin wearing goggles and incorporating the retractable blades from his glider into his left gauntlet. Screen Rant Dan Zinski described the suit as tattered and noted the goal of the MCU's costume designs is "to find some middle ground" between the comic book version and the "more realistic".
Norman Osborn, a scientist and the founder and CEO of Oscorp Industries, meets Peter Parker, the best friend of his son Harry, and is impressed by Peter's intelligence. At Oscorp, Osborn learns that some test subjects of a super-soldier serum project have gone insane, and that Oscorp may lose the chance for a military contract. Desperate, Osborn tests the serum on himself. It gives him enhanced strength and an alternate, deranged personality, which later comes to be known as the "Green Goblin". Osborn kills one of his scientists, then steals an Oscorp glider. He arrives at a test facility of Oscorp's rival, Quest Aerospace, where he kills scientists and military officials. After Oscorp's board of directors votes Osborn out as CEO, Osborn kills them, but retreats after being confronted by Spider-Man.
Osborn becomes horrified about what he has done as the Goblin, but is unable to overcome his alternate personality. In his search for Spider-Man, he attacks the Daily Bugle editor-in-chief J. Jonah Jameson, who employs Peter. Spider-Man arrives and is kidnapped by Osborn, who offers him a partnership. During a subsequent encounter, Spider-Man fights Osborn and refuses his offer.
Once Osborn deduces Peter that is Spider-Man, he attacks Peter's aunt May. He then kidnaps Peter's love interest Mary Jane Watson, as well as a Roosevelt Island Tramway car full of children. After Peter saves everyone, Osborn takes him to an abandoned building and brutally beats him. When Osborn threatens to kill Mary Jane, Peter finds the strength to fight back and gains the upper hand. Osborn then reveals his true identity and begs for mercy. While Peter is distracted, Osborn attempts to impale him with his glider, but Peter dodges the attack and the glider skewers Osborn instead. Before dying, Osborn begs Peter not to tell Harry that he is the Goblin.
After learning that Peter is Spider-Man, Harry is haunted by a hallucination of his father demanding to be avenged. Once Harry becomes the "New Goblin", Osborn reappears to remind Harry to avenge him.
Osborn arrives in a parallel universe after Dr. Stephen Strange casts a magical spell which backfires. Seeking to banish his Green Goblin persona, Osborn breaks the Goblin mask in an alley and seeks refuge in community center, where he meets May Parker and a new version of Peter Parker (Peter-One). Osborn goes with Peter-One to the New York Sanctum, where he learns about the multiverse and encounters other villains from previous Spider-Man films. Dr. Strange imprisons Osborn and prepares to use a magical device to send him and the others back to their original timelines; if Osborn is sent back, he will die in a fight with Spider-Man.
Peter-One traps Strange in the Mirror Dimension and takes the villains to Happy Hogan's apartment, where he intends to cure them of their afflictions. However, the Osborn succumbs to the Goblin and he fights with Peter-One. Osborn summons his glider and blows up the apartment building, fatally wounding May before he flees.
The other villains are cured by Peter-One and two other Peter Parkers from other universes. Osborn destroys Strange's device, which causes the barriers between universes to break. As Strange tries to seal them, Peter-One defeats and nearly kills Osborn, but is stopped by the Peter of Osborn's universe (Peter-Two). Osborn stabs Peter-Two in the back, before Peter-One injects Osborn with a serum that cures him of his Goblin persona. Osborn is horrified when he sees Peter-Two lying on the ground.
Strange casts a spell that returns Osborn, the other villains, and the other Peters to their respective timelines, giving Osborn a second chance at life.
A New York Daily News reviewer felt Dafoe put the "scare in archvillain", and Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian deemed him "strong support"; Conversely, critic A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote that Dafoe's performance was "uninspired and secondhand". While reviewing the films in April 2007, IGN Richard George commented that Green Goblin's armor, particularly the helmet, was "almost comically bad... Not only is it not frightening, it prohibits expression". Steven Scaife at Vice wrote that Dafoe's Goblin "represents everything that's fun about superhero villains, as well as everything that's great about Raimi's campy films", also commending Dafoe's voice and body language, which helped overcome the bulky Green Goblin costume that he compared to that of a Power Rangers villain.
The Lantern Brett Price wrote that Dafoe was "on another level" in No Way Home and not having his mask made him even more intimidating than he was in the 2002 film. Peter Travers of Good Morning America and Jade King at The Gamer praised Dafoe and Molina, with King asserting that the two "stole the show as Green Goblin and Doc Ock" and described the depictions as brilliant. Amelia Emberwing of IGN praised the performances of Dafoe, Molina, and Foxx in No Way Home.
After Spider-Man had joined the MCU and Sony Pictures partnered with Marvel Studios to co-produce Spider-Man films, Pascal spoke in August 2016 of an attempt to differentiate the new Spider-Man films from previous ones, citing the Goblin's exclusion, "I mean, I don't know how many more times we can do â at least for now â I don't know how many more times we can do the Green Goblin. I've certainly tried to do it fifty". Similarly, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige reflected that the MCU Spider-Man films chose to not reuse Spider-Man characters or elements, outside of the major ones, that were already adapted in previous Sony films, saying "it never occurred to us to do a new Goblin story, or to do an Oscorp story, or to do Doc Ock, or anyone that had been done before".
Osborn's line "you know, I'm something of a scientist myself", which became an Internet meme in the years preceding the release of No Way Home, was reprised during the film. Screen Rant Dustin Brewer claimed the "sparing" use of Goblin in Spider-Man influenced the usage of villains in later superhero films such as the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), furthering that this approach enables villains to "come and go more sporadically, giving them the ability to cause maximum mayhem every time they come on screen".
Dafoe has received several nominations, mostly in a "Best Villain" category, for his portrayal of Norman Osborn / Green Goblin; Dafoe's only win was a Critics' Choice Super Award in 2022 for his No Way Home performance. Separate from their film accolades, Dafoe and Maguire held the Guinness World Record for "the longest career as a live-action Marvel character."